capt.Ron

I've been having a strange issue with my car for the past 2 weeks.
One day as I was driving all of the gauges just stopped working and the check engine light came on. A min. or so later they come back.
I get home and shut the engine down and check the codes and I get no codes.
I try to start it and it started and died several times. After 3 or 4 tries I give it a little pedal and it starts but when I release the pedal it dies again. The next time I stay on the throttle a little longer and it stays running. After letting it idle for a while I get the (P1698-No CCD message from TCM) the next time the codes are read it shows no codes. I take it out for a drive and have the gauges come and go several times within about 40 miles. Each time that the gauges quit the a/c compressors shuts down and the air starts getting warm. After a random period I would feel the a/c starting to cool again and within about 20 sec.s or so the gauges would return.
This occurred the whole drive. Also the different monitors F, M, O, C, CC, OH etc would often not show up at all only to re-appear the next scan. Most of the time the CC monitor would be there even if the others were not. Sometimes none would show at all. When those monitors did not show it would be random as to whether the "P1698" would show or not. Generally if the "P1698" showed up the monitors showed as well.
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2 days ago I removed the connectors to the TCM/PCM looking for possible corrosion but saw none. I replaced and removed the plugs several times in hopes that this would clean the terminals. It was showing the "P1698" code so I reset it.
After doing that I started the car and it did the same thing it's done since my problem started. It starts right up and then dies unless I rev the engine a little. Once I got it to stay running I let it sit and idle for a while, no problems.
The wife wanted to go out and since we live 30 miles from anything we took the car for a long drive for dinner. (40+- miles}
Drove it the whole way with the code reader on it. I never got a code but I did see err1or err2 several times..
On the way to dinner one of the 4 monitors that were out of readiness from reseting the code came back. After dinner I started the car and instead of it starting right up and dieing the starter spins the engine for the longest before the engine fires up. This time it stays running with out me touching the pedal at all and another sensor comes back to "readiness"
Drive it the whole way home with no codes, just the occasional err1 or err2.
I pull into the garage, kill the engine then hit the starter and it fires right up and stays running "no pedal". I notice that when I started it back up that a third monitor comes back to readiness mode.
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tried to start it this morning and all it would do is start and die....even if I rev'd the engine on startup.
I tried it again later today and after several tries reving the engine it finally stayed running.
I connected the code reader and at first got no code.
Took it out for a drive and would often get (P1698) and often no code at all. The gauges fell off and came back a few times.
Something else I noticed was the monitors (catalyst, oxygen, oxygen heater, etc..... would often not show up at all on the code reader only to re-appear on the next scan.
When I got home it started every time I tried it without hesitation.
I've gotten a few clues but nothing really concrete from this thread that I started on dodgeintrepid.net

vzdude

Sounds like a battery or cable problem. Those cars are notorious for the battery cable to rot off. The start and die without the pedal, and staying running with the pedal, is typical when the computer has to re-learn idle strategy after a loss of power to the PCM. The funny part is it stays running. That is kinda wierd. But it would be worth looking at the simple stuff first.

capt.Ron

Yea I forgot to mention that I replaced the cable ends at the battery. From there the cables are good up to the jumper posts. Any idea where the + side goes before it hits the fuse block?
Also could it be in the fuse block?
Can that thing be opened up to look for a bad connection?

vzdude

After reading your thread on the other site, check the ground wire on the top bolt ( IIRC ) of the starter! That is a main ground, and could be causing your trouble. Definately a doozey!

capt.Ron

On the top of the starter huh???
Crap!!!
The last thing I did to that car was to rebuild the starter solenoid. This was back in Early feb. I'm going to be really upset with myself if that wire is off or loose.

vzdude

Yeah, the 3 mounting bolts that hold it to the bellhousing. I'm almost positive the top one has a ground on it. I know one of them does.

capt.Ron

Well I posted on http://www.obdii.com as well and I'm kinda hoping that the post below is my problem. I really don't want to deal with that starter again....It's a real PITA!!

vzdude

Hey! I remember one having that problem too! I fought that sucker for months! Never could duplicate it until it wouldn't start at all. He is right , red with a white tracer on the drivers side bottom of car. Goes from one wire to 3 IIRC. I don't remember it messing with the guages though. Just dying going down the road, and starting right back up. Still could be. I think it was right behind the bumper.

capt.Ron

Hmm
Mine may not be that. Mine never dies once it's up and running....it only dies right at startup but it's worth a try.
I hate to sound stupid but what do you mean by "one wire to 3 IIRC"?

vzdude

The splice is from one wire that goes to 3 wires if I remember correctly.
= IIRC

His car ended up getting towed in with a no start. It would die going down the road, pull over and start right back up. What engine do you have? Probably the 2.7L ? I'm still thinking the starter ground wire. It's not that bad - you don't have to take the starter off or anything. One bolt, and one wire with a ring terminal on it. IIRC it is a green wire.

capt.Ron

Did you have to pull the PCM to get to it??
The guy I've chatted with from the other forum says it's right under the PCM
I'm just trying to narrow down the location to keep from removing everything that I don't have to before I find it. ;-)
Mines the 3.2L

Yea If I remember right I had to remove an engine mount and jack up the motor to have room to get to it.
Maybe that was just to get the darn thing out!?!?!?!?

vzdude

Can't remember the specifics, only it was low on the driver's front behind the bumper. 2.7 or 3.2 the wiring is all about the same.

Mexstan

This problem intrigues me too. I agree about the potential cause of the problem(s). As accessing the ground wire at the starter is such a PIA, why don't you run a temporary secondary ground wire from the battery to some other easily accessible bolt on top of the engine?
I tend to think that it is not the ground wire on the starter because you stated that the starter turns the engine easily. If this ground wire is bad it will probably show more under a high current load. However, having said that, I know that sometimes a loose connection can temporarily weld itself just long enough to get the job done.

vzdude

Actually it is a smaller guage wire that grounds other things, not the big ground for tghe engine.

capt.Ron

I'll be checking these things later today (work has me tied up)
From looking at the service manual I believe that I should be able to easily see the ground wire and if it's connected from underneath the car.